Sunday, April 28, 2013

JUICE: Brown & Ulman Teaming Up, Gansler Opposes Gas Tax, Straw Poll for Gov Says Brown #1, Mizeur #2 & Frosh #1 for AG

Below Maryland Juice discusses a few interesting developments in the 2014 races for Governor and Attorney General:

JUICE #1: ANTHONY BROWN & KEN ULMAN DISCUSS JOINING FORCES TO FORM A 2014 TICKET - The Washington Post's John Wagner reported last night that Lt. Gov. Anthony Brown is in discussions with Howard County Executive Ken Ulman to serve as his running-mate for the 2014 Governor's race. A Brown-Ulman ticket always seemed like a strong possibility for one main reason: by joining forces, the two rival candidates would immediately be able to minimize Attorney General Doug Gansler's current cash advantage. Though Brown's folks are saying this is not a done deal, there are clearly talks going on (excerpt below):
WASHINGTON POST: Maryland Lt. Gov. Anthony G. Brown ... is in discussions with Howard County Executive Ken Ulman about joining his ticket, according to several people familiar with the talks....

By adding Ulman as the lieutenant governor candidate, Brown could erase much of a huge early fundraising advantage that Attorney General Douglas F. Gansler (D) enjoys over all other 2014 gubernatorial hopefuls in both parties. As of January, Ulman had $2.1 million sitting in his campaign account, more than the $1.6 million Brown reported having on hand.

Gansler, a former state’s attorney in Montgomery County, had $5.2 million, some of it stockpiled from a 2010 reelection campaign in which he did not have a Republican opponent.... An adviser to Brown stressed that a final decision has not been made....

AN OPENING FOR 2014 CHALLENGERS TO WOO WOMEN, MOCO & BALTIMORE? - The large fundraising gap and the easy ability to close it with one simple move might prove too irresistible for Brown and Ulman. But there are a few obvious downsides to an Ulman pick for Brown, especially since the other candidates can now make their own decisions knowing who they will be going up against.

First, this decision inevitably raises a giant red flag about the lack of gender balance on the ticket. This could have the effect of strengthening Heather Mizeur's hand or creating opportunities for a ticket that includes Doug Gansler with a woman as a running-mate. Additionally, adding Ken Ulman to the Brown ticket is something of a "safe" choice and doesn't bring the element of surprise or excitement that could come with a more risky or game-changing choice.

The next set of questions raised by Brown's choice concern geography. Montgomery County Democrats will undoubtedly make up a large share of the party's voters in 2014, and a Brown-Ulman ticket raises the possibility that in the absence of differentiating issues, MoCo voters could simply rally around a hometown candidate. The same could be true of voters in Baltimore, who currently have no candidate in the race. Indeed, Rep. Dutch Ruppersberger could be more inclined to run with a Brown-Ulman ticket further consolidating a field of non-Baltimore candidates.


JUICE #2: DOUG GANSLER OPPOSES GAS TIKE HIKE APPROVED BY MARYLAND  DEMOCRATS - Though most who read John Wagner's article above were likely interested in the discussion of a possible Brown-Ulman ticket, Maryland Juice was equally intrigued by Wagner's inclusion of policy debates between Anthony Brown and Doug Gansler. We previously discovered, for example, that Brown and Gansler are diametrically opposed on the death penalty -- Brown supports repeal, while Gansler thinks executions are a "wonderful tool" for prosecutors. But it turns out that Gansler is also opposed to the transportation funding package that was approved by most elected Democrats in the last legislative session. Check out the commentary on the gas tax hike from Gansler and Brown revealed by The Washington Post (excerpt below):
WASHINGTON POST: “Virginia is cleaning our clocks economically,” Gansler said.... He was also critical of the number of tax increases that have occurred under the O’Malley-Brown administration, including the recently passed increase in gas taxes to fund transportation projects. “To me, the solution to our transportation needs should not be to tax poor people and working families,” Gansler said....

[Anthony Brown] defended the need for the gas tax increase, saying that several projects, including the long-planned Purple Line rail link in the Washington suburbs, would probably have been “dead in the water” without it....
Maryland Juice eagerly awaits the details of Gansler's alternate transportation funding package, given that the gubernatorial candidate is purportedly concerned about competition from Virginia (where they are building a new Metro line AND where the legislature recently approved a massive transportation funding package).


JUICE #3: ANTHONY BROWN  TOPS STRAW POLL FOR 2014 GOVERNOR, BUT HEATHER MIZEUR STUNS WITH 2ND PLACE SHOWING IN WESTERN MARYLAND - A Maryland Juice source provided us with the results of the first Democratic straw polls for the 2014 campaign cycle. Last night Western Maryland Democrats took an early poll in the heated races for Maryland Governor and Attorney General. In the Governor's race, Maryland Juice is not surprised to see that Lt. Gov. Anthony Brown came in first place by a healthy margin -- even outside of the Democratic strongholds of Montgomery, Prince George's and Baltimore. But my source indicates that there was an audible gasp in the room when it was revealed that Delegate Heather Mizeur came in 2nd place among Western Maryland Democrats. Below you can see the vote totals, as well as the official tally sheet:
WESTERN MD DEMOCRATIC SUMMIT - 2014 GOVERNOR STRAW POLL
  1. Anthony Brown - 62 Votes
  2. Heather Mizeur - 37 Votes
  3. Doug Gansler - 25 Votes
  4. Ken Ulman - 17 Votes




JUICE #4: SEN. BRIAN FROSH WINS STRAW POLL FOR ATTORNEY GENERAL, DEL. BILL FRICK COMES IN 2ND AMONG WESTERN MARYLAND DEMS - State Senator Brian Frosh came in first place in the Western Maryland Democratic straw poll for Attorney General, and Delegate Bill Frick came in second. Note that the poor showing by Delegates Jon Cardin & Aisha Braveboy could be attributed to the fact that unlike their competitors, neither candidate attended the Western Maryland Democratic Summit yesterday. See the result below:

WESTERN MD DEMOCRATIC SUMMIT - 2014 ATTORNEY GENERAL STRAW POLL
  1. Brian Frosh - 70 votes
  2. Bill Frick - 54 votes
  3. Jon Cardin - 9 votes
  4. Aisha Braveboy - 4 votes
  5. Ken Ulman (Write-In) - 1 vote




MORE ON THE 2014 BATTLES SOON!

Friday, April 26, 2013

JuiceBlender: Maryland Lawmakers Weigh Retirement, Mizeur Decries Exclusion from 2014 Coverage, Frick vs. Frosh for AG

PLUS: FRANCHOT'S ODD NEWSPAPER, O'MALLEY'S PILGRIMAGE & A GOP COUP!

Below Maryland Juice highlights several news tidbits that may of interest to politicos tracking campaign developments in 2014 (and 2016):

JUICE #1: NUMEROUS STATE SENATORS & DELEGATES MAY RETIRE IN 2014 - Center Maryland columnist Josh Kurtz recently published a thorough round-up of possible retirement and open seat possibilities in 2014. In his lengthy column, he audits almost every State Senate and House of Delegates district and comes to the conclusion that the next election cycle could result in massive turnover in the General Assembly (excerpt below):
JOSH KURTZ (VIA CENTER MARYLAND): Jimmy Malone and Steven DeBoy are just the tip of the iceberg. When the House of Delegates convenes in 2015, there could be as many as 50 new members. That’s right, more than a third of the chamber could — could — turn over....

The Malone and DeBoy departures say something about the unique challenges facing conservative and moderate Democrats in Annapolis.... Indeed, redistricting will contribute heavily to the looming reconfiguration in the House, along with all the usual reasons: electoral defeats, delegates running for higher office, and pure retirements.

In the Senate, turnover has helped contribute to the long tenure of President Mike Miller (D).... No one has the seniority, gravitas or political cojones to challenge Miller’s supremacy....
But the House is a much less manageable place under the best of circumstances. As more and more newcomers arrive, with fewer connections and loyalty to Busch than the members who were there when he became speaker in 2003, it becomes harder for Busch and his lieutenants to maintain day-to-day control. That’s just the nature of the beast....


JUICE #2: DEL. HEATHER MIZEUR DECRIES EXCLUSION FROM BALTIMORE SUN COLUMNIST'S GUBERNATORIAL COVERAGE - Maryland Juice received an email blast today from the campaign manager for Del. Heather Mizeur's gubernatorial campaign decrying her omission from Baltimore Sun columnist Dan Rodricks' recent discussion of the 2014 race. Mizeur's campaign also took offense with Rodricks calling the Governor's office the "big-daddy chair." Below we provide an excerpt from Dan Rodricks' April 10, 2014 column (titled "Ruppersberger considering run for governor"), followed by an excerpt from Heather Mizeur's email blast:
DAN RODRICKS (VIA BALTIMORE SUN): Among the likely Democratic candidates for Maryland governor in 2014 — Howard County executive Ken Ulman, Lt. Gov. Anthony Brown, Attorney General Doug Gansler — Ulman comes closest to being the "Baltimore-area candidate."

But a genuine Baltimore-area candidate — someone who could pull votes from Baltimore County and the city, and enough in other key sectors of the state — would be a serious contender for the big-daddy chair in Annapolis....
The column above triggered the following response in the form of an email blast from Heather Mizeur's campaign manager Joanna Belanger. The blast below calls on supporters to sign a petition to send a message that "Maryland isn't a boys' club" (excerpt below):
JOANNA BELANGER (VIA FRIENDS OF HEATHER MIZEUR): The Baltimore Sun recently published a guest column about all the potential Democratic candidates for Governor in 2014. Well, all except for one:

Heather Mizeur.
Right now, there are no announced candidates for Governor. But Heather, just like several others, has made it clear that she's seriously considering a bid.

But the Sun only talked about the men who are thinking about running. Even worse, they actually called the office of Governor "the big-daddy chair.”

Sometimes you really have to wonder if these folks realize that it's 2013 now, and that women won't be ignored and dismissed. We deserve and demand better – will you add your name to our petition and let your voice be heard?

The race for Governor is going to be about the issues we all care about and who can best move Maryland forward – not his or her gender. Heather has spent her entire career working on behalf of all Marylanders, making sure we continue to improve our infrastructure and schools, protect our natural resources, promote job growth, and fight for equality.
That’s why her supporters are urging her to run.

Your support is vital. That's why I'm asking you to stand with me and add your name to our petition now. We need to send a message that Maryland isn't a boys' club -- and there's no such thing as the "big-daddy chair."

All my best,
Joanna Belanger
Campaign Manager
Friends of Heather Mizeur
Meanwhile, for those still questioning whether Del. Mizeur is actually running for Governor, it is worth noting that The Chestertown Spy recently published a series of video clips showing Mizeur campaigning in Kent County.


JUICE #3: 2014 ATTORNEY GENERAL RACE HIGHLIGHTS HOMETOWN RIVALRY BETWEEN SEN. BRIAN FROSH AND DEL. BILL FRICK - Yesterday Bethesda Magazine published an article profiling the dueling Attorney General campaigns from two District 16 Democrats: Sen. Brian Frosh & Del. Bill Frick. The worthwhile article presents some interesting backstory about Frosh's run for Attorney General, noting specifically that State Senator Jamie Raskin had been previously preparing for a run. Additionally, Bethesda Magazine also focuses on the awkwardness caused by the unusual circumstance of having two lawmakers from the same district seeking the same statewide office (excerpt below):
LOUIS PECK (VIA BETHESDA MAGAZINE): Although separated in age by almost three decades, state Sen. Brian Frosh and state Delegate Bill Frick have a lot in common.... Today, they reside barely a mile from each other along Bethesda’s River Road corridor, and share representation of District 16 in the Maryland General Assembly. In Annapolis, both can claim a record of legislative accomplishment as well as a passion for some of the same issues, particularly in the realm of consumer protection.

Perhaps it is as much because of these connections as in spite of them that Frick and Frosh now find themselves on a collision course.

While some in local political circles wait to see if one of them blinks, both men say they are committed to seeking the 2014 Democratic nomination to succeed Attorney General Douglas Gansler.... How did this statewide political head-on between two candidates from the same legislative district come about?...

When Frick approached Frosh about the contest, Frick says that Frosh told him that he was already committed to another attorney general aspirant from Montgomery County: state Sen. Jamie Raskin of Takoma Park, a law professor at American University....

JUICE #4: COMPTROLLER PETER FRANCHOT PRINTS NEWSPAPER DECLARING HIMSELF "THE MOST INTERESTING MAN IN MARYLAND" - A Maryland Juice reader recently reported that residents in her neighborhood received hand-delivered copies of a bizarre multi-page newspaper from Comptroller Peter Franchot. The elected statewide Democrat often describes himself as Maryland's "fiscal watchdog," but now he has adopted the title of "the most interesting man in Maryland." See the scanned front page of the newspaper below:



The Baltimore Sun provided some context on this strange government communication in an article earlier this month (excerpt below):
ERIN COX (VIA BALTIMORE SUN): Would you like to meet the most interesting man in Maryland?  Apparently, it's Comptroller Peter Franchot.

Franchot this week released a spoof of the popular Dos Equis' beer commercials as promotion for Maryland's unclaimed property website. More than $980 million is waiting to be claimed by Marylanders, and newspaper inserts will soon start advertising $80 million of them. ...

JUICE #5: MARYLAND HOUSE GOP MEMBERS ATTEMPT LEADERSHIP COUP - Maryland Reporter this week highlighted an emerging attempt by State House GOP members to replace GOP Minority Leader Tony O'Donnell (excerpt below):
GLYNIS KAZANJIAN (VIA MARYLAND REPORTER): A movement led by junior Republican delegates is underway to replace Maryland GOP House Minority Leader Tony O’Donnell and Minority Whip Jeannie Haddaway-Riccio. The move comes only days after the Maryland Republican Party voted in a new state party chairman, Diana Waterman, following a highly contentious election for the position.

Second term Del. Nicholaus Kipke, 34, Anne Arundel, and freshman Del. Kathy Szeliga, 51,  Baltimore and Harford counties, have been named by party insiders as the team running to replace O’Donnell, 52, and House Whip, Eastern Shore Del. Haddaway-Riccio, 35.
A vote is scheduled to take place in a special election next Tuesday, April 30, but such meetings are generally closed to the media and the public. This is the third reported attempt to unseat O’Donnell, with Kipke leading a similar effort in 2011 that fizzled....

JUICE #6: O'MALLEY ANNOUNCES PRESIDENTIAL AMBITIONS DURING TRIP TO ISRAEL -  It is no surprise to Maryland politicos that our Gov. Martin O'Malley has been gearing up for a 2016 White House run for quite some time now. But O'Malley stated the obvious during a recent trip to Israel (which now sits next to New Hampshire and Iowa on the list of places a prospective Presidential candidate must visit). The New York Times covered some of O'Malley's remarks during his trip this week (excerpt below):
NEW YORK TIMES: Gov. Martin O’Malley of Maryland said Wednesday that he would spend the second half of this year mulling whether to run for president in 2016. He seems already to have a campaign theme: jobs and innovation.

At least that’s what he insisted was the sole focus of his eight-day trip to Israel, Jordan and the Palestinian territories....

Governor O’Malley, 50, said it was his third visit to Israel.... Mr. O’Malley was also set to meet with President Shimon Peres of Israel; two rising stars in Israeli politics, Naftali Bennett and Yair Lapid, both of whom head economic ministries; and Salaam Fayyad, who resigned earlier this month as prime minister of the Palestinian Authority.....

“I plan for the latter half of this year to dedicate some more thought time, reflection time, to the question of whether or not I would run,” he said Tuesday. “The key question in running for any office is having a clear and refined understanding of the shared reality we face and the better set of choices we need to make as a people to meet those challenges and to create a better future for our kids....”

MORE ON THE COMING POLITICAL BATTLES SOON!

Thursday, April 18, 2013

JUICE: Sen. Robey, Del. Deboy & Del. Malone Retiring (Zirkin Too?) // PLUS: Don Dwyer Raffles AK-47 & 2014 AG Forum

Below Maryland Juice presents a round-up of recent tidbits relating to the 2014 election cycle, including several retirement announcements that promise to re-align politics in the Howard County area:

JUICE #1: DEMOCRATIC STATE SENATOR JIM ROBEY NOT RUNNING FOR RE-ELECTION - District 13 State Senator Jim Robey has announced he will not be running for re-election in 2014. The Baltimore Sun's Blair Ames reported on the development (excerpt below):
BALTIMORE SUN: The end of the 2014 General Assembly session in Annapolis will mark the end of 48 years in public service for Howard County Sen. Jim Robey. Robey, an Elkridge Democrat, confirmed Tuesday, April 16, that he will retire next year after eight years in the Maryland Senate.... "I just feel it's time to step aside and let someone else step in."

Robey, 72, has served in the Senate since 2007 representing District 13, which covers much of southern Howard County. He previously served two terms as Howard County Executive from 1998 to 2006.... Robey said he "thoroughly enjoyed" his time in Annapolis, but acknowledged the legislature has made some tough decisions over the past two years....
Maryland Juice first caught wind of Sen. Robey's retirement when a reader pointed us in the direction of the following remark on Howard County Executive Ken Ulman's Facebook page:
KEN ULMAN: Senator Jim Robey is a solid public servant who does what he thinks is right on behalf of others. That's the legacy he'll leave behind. Wishing him lots of luck on his retirement! Thank you for your service to Howard County!


JUICE #2: DELEGATES STEVE DEBOY & JIM MALONE ALSO RETIRING // 3 OPEN SEATS IN MARYLAND HOUSE DISTRICT 12 - State Senator Jim Robey's retirement is piled on top of multiple retirements from politicians representing parts of Howard County. Indeed, all three House of Delegates seats in Maryland's District 12 will be vacant in 2014. Last September, Delegate Liz Bobo announced she would not seek re-election, and this week Bryan Sears from Catonsville Patch reported that the other two District 12 Delegates Steve DeBoy and Jim Malone are also not running for re-election (excerpt below):
CATONSVILLE PATCH: Dels. Steve DeBoy and Jim Malone say this term in the House of Delegates will be their last. In separate interviews, the two Democrats who represent the Catonsville and Arbutus areas said they have decided not run for a fourth and fifth term respectively....

DeBoy, who is finishing his third term, said redistricting and political changes in the House of Delegates were two factors in his decision..... Some of the issues that concerned DeBoy was the recent passage of the repeal of the death penalty and the recent gun control law....
Indeed, Steve DeBoy attributes his retirement decision to his disagreement with death penalty repeal and Maryland's new gun regulations. But Deboy's colleague James Malone was a bit more muted in his response. Shortly after the Patch article came out, Del. Malone emailed the following public announcement to his supporters:
DEL. JAMES MALONE: First and foremost, I want to thank you--my family, my friends and my supporters for your kindness and friendship over almost two decades of public service in the Maryland House of Delegates.  I feel that I have proudly served with distinction the area where I grew up, live and continue to raise my children. 

After serious and careful consideration, I have decided not to seek re-election to the Maryland House of Delegates in 2014.  As a result, I am canceling my fundraiser scheduled on May 16th, 2013.  I look forward to spending more time with my daughter Danica and my son Little Jimmy.

Over my and my family's lifetime in politics, my Dad, Mom and I have met so many wonderful people.  Thank you for sharing with me your time, your stories, your support and your friendship.

I look forward to continuing to serve the rest of my term and promise to always be a positive influence in our community,

May God Bless each and every one of you!

James E. Malone, Jr.
Delegate, District 12A 
Baltimore & Howard counties 

REASONS FOR THE RETIREMENT: Maryland Juice contacted some Annapolis sources for reaction to the news, and the consensus seems to be that District 12 is likely to elect three progressive Democrats to the House of Delegates in 2014. But one source explained some of the backstory to the retirements:
ANONYMOUS SOURCE: I can't tell you how bizarre this is. DeBoy and Malone were redistricted into a more Democratic district to give them easy elections and keep them around. But they were so used to voting conservative that they literally couldn't become liberal enough for their new districts.

Redistricting was designed to help these two, but they couldn't have it both ways. They couldn't have both the easy elections they wanted, AND vote the conservative way they wanted to. They voted their old districts perfectly but couldn't seem to make the transition to their new district. Well, that likely means two more progressive Dems from the Columbia-area.
Indeed Delegates DeBoy and Malone are both Democrats but over time have built relatively conservative voting records for Maryland Democrats. Notably, their current district includes parts of Baltimore and Howard counties, but starting in the 2014 election cycle their two seats will be merged with the far more liberal District 12B to create a new three-member House of Delegates District 12. Most importantly, the new D12 is projected to be dominated by the liberal Democrats in Columbia, Maryland. A second anonymous source remarked to Maryland Juice: "I think they saw the writing on the wall."

CONSERVATIVE VOTING RECORDS ENDANGER INCUMBENT DEMOCRATS: The writing on the wall in this instance was that DeBoy and Malone's voting records were clearly out-of-step with the new District 12. Delegate Steve DeBoy voted against the Dream Act, marriage equality, death penalty repeal, the gas tax, gun regulations, and drivers licenses for undocumented residents. Similarly, Delegate James Malone voted against the Dream Act, death penalty repeal, gun regulations, and the gas tax.

Given these voting records, the potential challenges facing DeBoy and Malone were becoming more real every day. After all, when Del. Bobo announced her retirement last September, almost a dozen candidates' names emerged as possible challengers for the single open District 12 seat. And in recent weeks, one 2014 candidate even began making an issue out of the incumbents' votes on death penalty repeal. Even still, the two conservative Democrats did themselves no favor with their new voters by continuing to vote against progressive issues in the face of these challengers. The race is now on to see what becomes of the new District 12, but one thing is certain: we are likely to see a stampede of HoCo Democrats running for the three open seats in 2014!


JUICE #3: IS STATE SENATOR BOBBY ZIRKIN CONSIDERING RETIRING? - Take the following bit of juice with a grain or two of salt, but several Maryland Juice sources are indicating that State Senator Bobby Zirkin is also weighing a potential retirement in 2014. I'll believe it when I see it, but a few sources swear that the District 11 Democrat sounds like he's serious. To be sure, Zirkin is fairly young for someone rumored to be weighing retirement, but after two terms in the House and two terms in the Senate, he will have been in office for 16 years when his current term ends.

If Zirkin does retire, there could be some interesting dynamics in the race for his seat. District 11 is currently represented by three Democratic members in the House of Delegates: Jon Cardin, Dan Morhaim and Dana Stein. An open Senate seat could provide Delegate Cardin a fall-back plan for his 2014 Attorney General run -- but sources seem to think that is an unlikely path for Cardin. Maryland Juice will be keeping an eye on a possible Zirkin retirement!


JUICE #4: TEA PARTY DELEGATE DON DWYER RAFFLING AK-47 AND AR-15 RIFLES FOR 2014 FUNDRAISER - Tea Party Delegate Don Dwyer faces a difficult re-election in 2014. First, redistricting drew him into an inhospitable new district, and then he was involved in a drunk boating accident that left several children injured. At last check Dwyer was embarking on a quixotic bid to switch parties and try and retain his seat as a Democrat. But Dwyer's latest move might be his strangest stunt yet.

To fundraise for the 2014 cycle, Dwyer is now raffling the now notorious AK-47 and AR-15 rifles that were recently banned in Maryland. He is hosting the event before the state's new gun regulations take effect, so for $10 Dwyer's supporters have a chance to take him assault weapons. ABC News reported on the development (excerpt below):
ABC NEWS: Maryland Delegate Don Dwyer has announced a fundraising event in support of guns rights and his re-election campaign. As part of the event he is selling raffle tickets for an AR-15 and AK-47. Tickets for the assault riffles are available for $10 and can even be purchased online.
 Check out the following screencap from Don Dwyer's fundraising website:



JUICE #5: BALTIMORE'S BEST DEMOCRATIC CLUB HOSTS 2014 ATTORNEY GENERAL CANDIDATES FORUM - Baltimore's "B.E.S.T. Democratic Club is hosting a forum with candidates for 2014 Attorney General on June 6, 2013. See the event announcement below:
BEST DEMOCRATIC CLUB: We hope to see everyone at the next general meeting which will be June 6, 2013 from 6:00 P.M. – 9:00 P.M. The location is 4709 Harford Road, Baltimore, MD 21214. The theme for this meeting is “The Attorney General Round Table” where we have invited all those that are running for the Maryland Attorney General seat to have a discussion with Baltimore.

Invited Guest

Delegate Aisha Braveboy
Delegate Jon Cardin - Confirmed
Delegate Bill Frick - Confirmed
Senator Brian Frosh


MORE ON THE 2014 BATTLE SOON!

Friday, April 12, 2013

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW: Congressman Dutch Ruppersberger Discusses Potential 2014 Bid for Governor with Maryland Juice

Earlier this week, Baltimore Sun columnist Dan Rodricks reported that Congressman Dutch Ruppersberger was weighing a surprise run for Maryland Governor in 2014. Maryland Juice found out firsthand that the rumors are true!

DUTCH RUPPERSBERGER TALKS TO MARYLAND JUICE ABOUT 2014 GOVERNOR'S RACE - Below Maryland Juice provides an exclusive interview with Rep. Dutch Ruppersberger about his exploration of a 2014 gubernatorial campaign. We asked Rep. Ruppersburger several questions about the basic contours of his race:
  1. Why did you decide to start exploring the 2014 Governor's race?
  2. Have you set a timeline for making a decision?
  3. Would you consider being the running-mate of one of the existing candidates? 
  4. Can you compete in fundraising this late in the game?

WATCH DUTCH RUPPERSBERGER DISCUSS A 2014 GUBERNATORIAL RUN


STOP CISPA: FLOOR VOTE WEDNESDAY: I should note that I was actually in Rep. Ruppersberger's office to discuss my concerns with his cybersecurity bill CISPA, but after a lengthy debate over that issue, I think the Congressman and I will have to agree to disagree. The bill's stated intent is to stop malicious "hackers," but it attempts to do so by overriding all existing online privacy laws and allowing companies (like Google, Facebook, and Twitter) to voluntarily share information with law enforcement agencies and defense contractors. In exchange, these companies are granted immunity from lawsuits.

The ACLU notes: "CISPA is a proposed law that would give companies unprecedented power to hand your personal information from the internet, including from private communications, over to government agencies without a warrant."

Granted most reasonable people want to protect the U.S. power grid and stop malicious hacking, but on the balance of things, Americans increasingly prioritize online privacy. Last year every Democratic House member from Maryland voted against CISPA (except for bill sponsor Rep. Ruppersberger), and President Obama threatened to veto the legislation.

The U.S. House is scheduled to vote on the proposal next Wednesday, and Maryland Juice hopes to see last year's CISPA opponents continue their opposition: Rep. Elijah Cummings, Rep. Donna Edwards, Rep. Steny Hoyer, Rep. John Sarbanes, and Rep. Chris Van Hollen. We also hope that Rep. John Delaney will join the majority of his Democratic colleagues in affirming last year's opposition to CISPA.
Okay, I'm jumping off my soapbox now, and I'll admit that in spite of my disagreements over this issue, Dutch Ruppersberger (a self-described moderate Democrat) seems like a nice enough guy. Moreover, I appreciate that he provided the opportunity for me to air some concerns with the legislation.

More on the 2014 Governor's race soon!

Thursday, April 11, 2013

JUICE: Lt. Gov. Anthony Brown's Shortlist of Running-Mates // PLUS: Rep. Dutch Ruppersberger Weighs Run for MD Governor

The 2014 Maryland Governor's race is just about to enter into high gear. Maryland Juice recently reported that Lt. Gov. Anthony Brown has scheduled a May 10th kickoff for his 2014 gubernatorial campaign. We also mentioned that rumors indicate Brown will appear at his Prince George's campaign rally with a running-mate beside him. Below we leak a few names on Anthony Brown's shortlist for Lt. Governor. But first another development is threatening to seriously alter the playing field in 2014. Indeed, there may be a new entrant on the battle field! We knew that a dark horse candidate for statewide office might emerge eventually....

CONGRESSMAN DUTCH RUPPERSBERGER IS CONSIDERING RUNNING FOR GOVERNOR - In a surprise move, Rep. Dutch Ruppersberger is apparently thinking about leaving Congress to run for Governor in 2014. The Baltimore Sun's Dan Rodricks reported on the wild development this evening (excerpt below):
DAN RODRICKS (VIA BALTIMORE SUN) - Rep. Dutch Ruppersberger, the six-term congressman and former Baltimore County executive, "is considering it," says his spokeswoman, Jaime Lennon.

Ruppersberger is the ranking Democratic member of the House Select Committee on Intelligence, a great assignment but one that has a term limit and ends when the current Congress does, in two years....

INCOMPLETE SHORTLIST OF ANTHONY BROWN'S POSSIBLE RUNNING-MATES - Below Maryland Juice provides a shortlist of several possible 2014 running-mates for Anthony Brown's gubernatorial campaign. NOTE: This is not a complete list of all of the possible candidates on Brown's shortlist. However, each of the names below have been mentioned to me by knowledgeable sources, and at least some of them appear to be going through some level of vetting.

Rival gubernatorial candidate Ken Ulman's name is included below for obvious reasons, but it is unclear if he's even considering teaming up with Brown for the #2 spot. Similarly, Howard County Councilmember Courtney Watson is listed below, but she is also a candidate for Howard County Executive in 2014. It is therefore also unclear whether she would be willing to abandon her campaign for an unplanned run for LG. Okay, enough blabbering on my part. Without further ado here are some of the possible running-mates for Lt. Gov. Anthony Brown:

  • OPTION #1Vicki Almond - Baltimore County Councilmember
  • OPTION #2Bill Cole - Baltimore City Councilmember
  • OPTION #3 Kathleen Dumais - District 15 Delegate (Montgomery County)
  • OPTION #4Nancy King - District 39 State Senator (Montgomery County)
  • OPTION #5Roger Manno - District 19 State Senator (Montgomery County)
  • OPTION #6Nancy Navarro - Montgomery County Council President
  • OPTION #7Ken Ulman - Howard County Executive
  • OPTION #8Courtney Watson - Howard County Council


QUICK NOTES: Of the eight names listed above, it is worth noting that five are women. It is also worth noting that only one option would be history-making for any racial or ethnic group. On the geographic front, 50% of the names on my shortlist are from Montgomery County, and the next runner-up is Howard County with two possible running-mates (if you count Ken Ulman). Baltimore City and County each have one name on my list, but remember that there could be more candidates on the shortlist than I have been able to discover. In any case, the names above still provide an interesting window into the considerations Brown's team might be making. None of their choices so far are shocking though, given that the DC suburbs alone could make up almost 40% of the Democratic Primary electorate, and women outnumber men in the Democratic Party.


OPTION #1:  VICKI ALMOND, BALTIMORE COUNTY COUNCILMEMBER - Baltimore County Councilmember Vicki Almond provides the following biography on her website:
Councilwoman Vicki Almond took the oath of office on December 6, 2010, to represent the Second District on the Baltimore County Council. She became the first woman to hold this seat and only the third woman to serve on the Baltimore County Council. She made history, along with Councilwoman Cathy Bevins, by being the first women to serve together on the Baltimore County Council. In January 2012, she became the first woman to Chair the Baltimore County Council in more than 20 years.
Vicki Almond, Baltimore County Council

Vicki Almond's 30 years of leadership in public schools, working with our police and fire departments, leading community groups, in state government and in Baltimore County Democratic politics, prepared her to provide our community with thoughtful, responsible, and ethical leadership.

Prior to her campaign, Councilwoman Almond served as Chief of Staff to Senator Bobby Zirkin. She also managed Delegate Dana Stein's successful campaign for his first term in 2006. County Executive Dutch Ruppersberger appointed her to the Baltimore County Women's Commission and she served on the Rosewood Advisory Board. She also was instrumental in the creation of Baltimore County's School Resource Officer (SRO) Program which places a police officer in our public middle and high schools.

Councilwoman Almond has an extensive community resume. She served as PTA President at both Franklin Middle School and Franklin High School. She was the President of the Reisterstown-Owings Mills-Glyndon Coordinating Council on two occasions. She has been a leader in the Garrision and Franklin Police Community Relations Councils and an organizer of the Reister's Towne Festival.

Through serving the community all of these years Councilwoman Almond has had the opportunity to not only get to know the people of the community, but to fully understand their needs. She is committed to Baltimore County's future and believes that the key to a prosperous community is one in which people want to live and raise a family, where companies both large and small want to locate, where our seniors are treated with the respect and dignity, and where we are strengthened by our religious, cultural and ethnic diversity.

She believes in a balanced approach to development that encourages growth in our commercial corridors while both protecting the integrity of our existing residential communities and preserving our district's sensitive environmental areas.

Councilwoman Almond currently lives in Reisterstown with her husband Joe. She has two daughters, both of whom attended Cedarmere Elementary, Franklin Middle and Franklin High Schools, and now has six beautiful grandchildren.

OPTION #2:  BILL COLE, BALTIMORE CITY COUNCILMEMBER - Councilmember Bill Cole provides the following biography on his website:
Councilman Bill Cole began his career in government as an intern in the Maryland State Senate in 1994, then served two sessions as  a legislative aide to former State Senator Walter Baker. In 1996, he was hired by newly elected Congressman Elijah E. Cummings (MD-07) as Staff Assistant and later Special Assistant.  Cole managed one of three district offices, remaining on the Congressman’s staff until 2003. 
Bill Cole, Baltimore City Council
In 1998, Bill was elected to the Democratic State Central Committee and a few months later selected to fill the District 47 Maryland House of Delegates seat vacated by Judge Timothy D. Murphy.  The 2002 legislative redistricting process eliminated Baltimore’s 47th Legislative District and Bill lost to three incumbents in the newly formed 46th Legislative District. 
Bill was first elected to the Baltimore City Council in 2007, and re-elected in 2011 wining 75% of the vote. 
After receiving a B.A. in Government and Politics from the University of Maryland College Park in 1994, and a M.A. in Legal and Ethical Studies from the University of Baltimore in 1996, Bill was admitted to Alpha Epsilon Lambda, the national honor society for graduate and professional students. 
Born  in Cecil County, Bill has lived in downtown Baltimore for more than 25 years. He and his wife Michelle, an assistant Maryland Attorney General, live in the Otterbein neighborhood where he has served as president of the community association. Their three children attend Baltimore City Public Schools.

OPTION #3:  KATHLEEN DUMAIS, DISTRICT 15 DELEGATE - District 15 Delegate Kathleen Dumais provides the following biography on her website:
Kathleen M. Dumais is a member of the Litigation Practice Group of Ethridge, Quinn, Kemp, McAuliffe, Rowan & Hartinger in Rockville, Maryland and concentrates in family law. Her practice includes complex divorce and custody matters. Kathleen often serves as a court-appointed Best Interest Attorney for children in custody disputes. She is a fellow of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers. Additionally, Kathleen is an elected member of the Maryland House of Delegates, representing District 15 in Montgomery County. Speaker Michael Busch appointed Kathleen as the Parliamentarian for the House of Delegates in 2006. She also serves as a member of the House Judiciary Committee and is the Chair of the Family Law subcommittee.
Kathleen Dumais, District 15 Delegate

Recently, Kathleen received the prestigious 2010 Beverly A. Groner Family Law Award from the Maryland State Bar Association Family & Juvenile Law Section. She will also receive the 2010 Rita C. Davidson Award from the Women’s Bar Association of Maryland and the 2010 Dorothy Beatty Memorial Award from the Women’s Law Center of Maryland, Inc.

Kathleen was included in the May/June 2010 “Top Divorce Lawyers” article in Bethesda Magazine. She was named one of the top 50 divorce lawyers in the Washington Metropolitan area by the Washingtonian magazine in February 2000 and February 2004, and was named one of Maryland’s Top 100 Women in 2005, 2007 and 2009 by the Daily Record. Kathleen is now a member of the Daily Record’s “Circle of Excellence.” She was named the “2005 Woman of the Year” by the Montgomery County Business and Professional Women (BPW). In 2006, she received the Professionalism Award from the Montgomery County Bar Association.

Additionally, Ms. Dumais received the 2005 Legislative Award from the Maryland Network Against Domestic Violence (MNADV); the 2007 Public Policy Award from the Maryland Coalition Against Sexual Assault (MCASA); the 2008 Legislator of the Year Award from the Maryland Legislative Agenda for Women (MLAW); and the 2009 Public Policy Award from the Maryland Chapter of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys (NAELA).

She also served on the Board of the Montgomery County Bar Foundation and was formerly the Treasurer of the Foundation and the Montgomery County Bar Association. She was Co-Chair of the Family Law Section of the Montgomery County Bar Association during 1997-98. Further, she is a past president of the Women’s Bar Association of Maryland, Montgomery County Chapter, and was an elected member of that Executive Committee from 1995 to 2006. She formerly chaired the New Practitioner’s Section of the Montgomery County Bar Association, and has been a member of numerous Bar Association special committees and task forces.

As a former high school teacher, she continues to work with young adults through the High School Mock Trial program, a joint effort of the Montgomery County Public Schools and Bar Association. She serves as a member of the Board of Directors of St. Vincent Pallotti High School in Laurel, Maryland, her alma mater.

Ms. Dumais received her undergraduate degree (cum laude) from Mount Vernon College in Washington, D.C. in 1980 and her J.D. from the University of Maryland, School of Law in 1983. She is a member of the Maryland Bar, 1987; the bar of the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland, 1990; and the District of Columbia Bar, 1993.

OPTION #4:  NANCY KING, DISTRICT 39 STATE SENATOR - District 39 State Senator Nancy King provides the following biography on her website:
Senator Nancy King was born and raised in Niagara Falls, New York. She graduated from the Niagara Falls public school system and attended Niagara County Community College.
Nancy King, District 39 State Senate

Upon moving to Maryland in 1981, King became involved in a number of civic organizations. In 1987 she became Vice-President and Chief Financial Officer of Trecor, Inc., a family-owned consulting and forensic engineering company. Senator King continues in that position today.

King's children attended Montgomery County public schools, and it was during that time that she began volunteering in the school system. In 1993, she became President of the Montgomery County Council of Parent-Teacher Associations (PTAs).

In 1994, King was elected to the Montgomery County Board of Education representing District 1 and quickly rose through the leadership ranks, and served for two years as President. Mrs. King continued to serve on the School Board until 2002, until she was elected to Maryland's House of Delegates representing District 39.

As a member of the House of Delegates, King served on the Ways and Means Committee where, in 2006, she became the Chair of the Education sub-committee. In August of 2007, King was elected by the Montgomery County Democratic Central Committee to fill the seat left vacant by the retirement of Senator P.J. Hogan. Subsequently, Governor Martin O'Malley approved the appointment and she was sworn in as Senator for District 39 on September 6, 2007. In November of 2010 Senator King won the election to continue representing District 39 in the Senate.

King has become an active leader in the Senate and was recognized as the State Legislator of the Year by the National Biotechnology Industry Organization and the Technology Advocate of the Year by the Tech Council of Maryland in 2011. Senator King was chosen to serve on the Budget and Taxation Committee including the Capital Budget and Education, Business, & Administration sub-committees. King is also the Senate Chair of the Joint Committee on Children, Youth & Families.

OPTION #5:  ROGER MANNO, DISTRICT 19 STATE SENATOR - District 19 State Senator Roger Manno provides the following biography on his website (excerpt below):
Senator Roger Manno was sworn-in to the Maryland State Senate on January 12th, 2011, after previously serving four years in the Maryland House of Delegates.
Roger Manno, District 19 Senate
Roger is a member of the Senate Budget and Taxation Committee, serves as one of four Senators on the Health and Human Services Subcommittee, and is a member of the Pension Subcommittee. He is the only freshman Senator on the Senate Budget and Taxation Committee, the only attorney, and the first Senator from the 19th District to ever serve on the important committee.

Roger also serves on the Joint Committee on Health Care Delivery and Financing, the Joint Committee on Federal Relations, the Joint Committee on Pensions, the State Advisory Council on Hereditary and Congenital Disorders, the Maryland Alzheimer's Disease and Related Disorders Commission, and is the Senate Chairman of both the Maryland Task Force to Study Financial Matters Relation to Long-Term Care Facilities, and the Maryland Youth Advisory Council.

In 2009, Roger was appointed to serve on the Working Group of State Legislators for Health Reform. Convened by President Obama's White House, the Working Group played an active role in advising the White House during the development and implementation of the "Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act" -- the largest expansion of health care since the implementation of Medicare -- and the group continues to serve as an advisory panel to facilitate implementation of the pending health care Exchanges. Outside of the legislature, Roger serves on the national steering committee of the Leadership Conference for Guaranteed Health Care, and the board of B'nai B'rith International (Chesapeake Bay Region)....

Prior to his election to the legislature, Roger served as a Legislative Director and Legislative Counsel/Senior Counsel in the United States Congress.   In that capacity Roger drafted numerous legislative initiatives, including:  legislation ensuring thorough health care screenings for all U.S. troops; several post-9/11 Homeland Security bills and amendments strengthening security and civil rights; alternative U.S. Budgets sponsored by the Congressional Black Caucus; and was an organizer of issue forums for the Congressional Black Caucus Annual Legislative Conference.  Additionally, as a staff member handling International Relations issues and Foreign Operations Appropriations, in 2005 Roger traveled to Israel with a congressional staff delegation during Israel’s "Disengagement" from Israel's West Bank and the Gaza Strip. Immediately following the attacks on September 11, 2001, Roger served as a key staff member on the House of Representatives Homeland Security Task Force (Democratic Caucus), drafting Homeland Security amendments and alternatives to The Patriot Act. While his work dealt with a broad range of Homeland Security issues, his specific contributions were in the area of Domestic Law Enforcement.

Prior to law school Roger worked in public schools with academically, emotionally, and socially challenged special-needs students....
Roger earned his law degree from Franklin Pierce Law Center (University of New Hampshire) and was the Chair of the Democratic Law Caucus. In addition, Roger earned a Masters in Intellectual Property Law, an area of the law dealing with prescription drug patents and obtaining affordable prescription drugs....

Roger is married to his childhood sweetheart, Marjorie.  Roger's parents, Bea and John reside in New York City, and Roger's sister, Shana, lives in Israel. Roger, Marjorie, and their two cats, Chester and Ms. LuLu, live in the Silver Spring area bordering Olney and Sandy Spring. They are members of Temple Emanuel in Kensington, Maryland.

OPTION #6:  NANCY NAVARRO, MONTGOMERY COUNTY COUNCIL PRESIDENT - Montgomery County Councilmember Nancy Navarro provides the following biography on her website:
Nancy Navarro currently serves as President of the Montgomery County Council. She was elected to represent District 4 on the Council in a special election on May 19, 2009 and re-elected in the general election on November 4, 2010. Since December 2010, she has chaired the Government Operations and Fiscal Policy (GO) Committee and serves on the Health and Human Services Committee. She served as Council Vice President for the 2011-2012 session, and has been elected Council President for the 2012-2013 session of the Council.
Nancy Navarro, Montgomery County Council

In October 2011, President Barack Obama appointed Nancy as a member of the President’s Commission on Educational Excellence for Hispanics, where she serves on the Early Childhood Education Committee.

Prior to joining the Council, Nancy was a member of the Montgomery County Board of Education, where she served two consecutive terms as Board President. She was first appointed to the Board of Education in October 2004 to fill a vacant seat. On Nov. 7, 2006, she was elected to a full four-year term. Nancy was a member of the Board’s Strategic Planning Committee and chaired the Communications and Public Engagement Committee.

Before entering public office, Nancy co-founded a non-profit, community-based organization with a mission to assist the economic and educational development of Latino and other immigrant communities. School readiness, healthy family development, and academic achievement was the primary focus of the organization. During the summers of 2007 and 2008, she participated in the Public Education Leadership Project (PELP) at Harvard University, where the Montgomery County Public Schools team focused on race, poverty and the academic achievement gap.

Nancy has served in a number of volunteer leadership roles, including PTSA co-president; chair of the Youth, Schools, and Childcare Work Group of the Long Branch Revitalization Task Force; co-founder of the Montgomery County Non-Profit Village; member of the Montgomery County Gang Prevention Task Force; member of the National Child Care Action Campaign; Member of the Advisory Committee for the Washington Area Foundation Portrait Project. She also served as a bilingual classroom parent volunteer.

Nancy has received numerous awards and recognitions, including: the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of Montgomery County’s Leadership Award; the Maryland State Department of Education’s Women Who Dare Leadership Award; the Hispanic Democratic Club of Montgomery County’s Poder con Ganas Award; the U.S. Hispanic Youth Entrepreneur Education’s Hispanic Hero Award; the Montgomery County Business and Professional Women Association’s Women of Achievement 2007 Award; the Community Teachers Institute’s Heart of the Community Award; the 2009 and 2013 Maryland’s Top 100 Women Award; and the Mid-Atlantic Hispanic Chamber of Commerce’s 2010 Elected Local Government Official of the Year Award.

Nancy graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Psychology from the University of Missouri (Columbia). She was born in Caracas, Venezuela and has lived in Montgomery County for more than two decades with her husband, Reginald, and two daughters.

OPTION #7:  KEN ULMAN, HOWARD COUNTY EXECUTIVE - Howard County Executive Ken Ulman provides the following biography on his website (excerpt below):
On Dec. 6, 2010, Ulman was sworn in as County Executive for a second term, reaffirming his commitment to the citizens of Howard County with energy, passion, and innovation.

Ken Ulman, Howard County Executive
Ulman’s practical approach to governing and fiscal responsibility saves taxpayers dollars without sacrificing core public services, while also allowing his administration to focus on initiatives in strategic areas like environmental sustainability, healthcare, technology, and economic development efforts.

In one of his first actions as County Executive, Ulman created the Howard County Office of Environmental Sustainability with a mission to protect and enhance natural resources and the quality of life in our community through the conservation, preservation and restoration of our land, air and water. Through this office, Ulman has enacted many measures that have reduced the County’s environmental footprint, such as the transformation of the County’s fleet of vehicles to hybrids wherever possible, enactment of green building standards and a single-stream recycling program that serves as a model for neighboring jurisdictions.

In addition to environmental issues, Ulman has a strong commitment to public health. At a young age, he witnessed his younger brother battle and beat cancer.  Driven by this personal experience and the belief that everyone should have access to affordable and preventive healthcare, Ulman and Health Officer Dr. Peter Beilenson launched Healthy Howard.

In 2008, Howard County became one of the first in the nation to offer affordable access to health care for uninsured residents. The Healthy Howard Access Plan has earned numerous awards, including the “Government Innovation Award” from the Maryland Society of Public Administration and was the winner of the “Bright Ideas” award from the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University.  In 2008 The Daily Record recognized Ulman and Health Officer Dr. Peter Beilenson with the “Innovator of the Year Award"....

Ulman currently serves as President of the Board of Directors for the Maryland Association of Counties (MACo), an organization that makes sure Maryland’s 23 counties and the City of Baltimore are heard when decisions are made in the state’s capital....

Ulman is a graduate of The University of Maryland, College Park and earned his law degree from Georgetown University Law Center.  He and his wife, Jacqueline, reside in Columbia with their two daughters, Maddie and Lily.

Ulman is also the Vice-Chair of Health Policy for the National Association of Counties, Treasurer for the National Democratic County Officials, and a member of the Democratic National Committee.

OPTION #8:  COURTNEY WATSON, HOWARD COUNTY COUNCIL - Howard County Councilmember Courtney Watson provides the following biography on her website (excerpt below):
Courtney Watson was first elected to the County Council in November, 2006 to represent the First Council District which includes portions of Ellicott City, Elkridge and Hanover. She has also served as Council Chairperson.
Courtney Watson, Howard County Council

Mrs. Watson is a lifelong Howard County resident raised in Clarksville. She was educated in the Howard County Public School System and graduated from Atholton High School.

After several years as a community activist, Mrs. Watson was elected in 2002 to the Board of Education, completing a four year term and serving two years as Chairman. During this time a new superintendent, Dr. Sydney L. Cousin, was hired, the cultural proficiency program was begun, and six new schools were constructed.

Mrs. Watson served on the county’s Adequate Public Facilities Ordinance Committee, the Ellicott City Master Plan Steering Committee, and the Economic Development Authority Strategic Plan Committee. She has served on the Spending and Bond Affordability Committee.  Ms. Watson serves as the President of the Women of MACo (Maryland Association of Counties).  She served on the 2007 MACo Education Subcommittee.

Mrs. Watson earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Loyola University, and holds a Masters of Business Administration degree from The Sellinger School of Business at Loyola.

Mrs. Watson and her husband, Richard, have lived in Ellicott City for over 20 years. They have three children.

 More on the 2014 Battle for Governor soon!

Wednesday, April 10, 2013

ROLL CALLS: Maryland Approves Medical Marijuana, Licenses for Undocumented Residents, Gas Tax Hike & New Gun Laws

In the last few weeks, Maryland lawmakers approved a series of high-profile bills on a range of topics. Below Maryland Juice provides a combined House and Senate roll call on four key issues that were advanced by progressive advocates this session:

DEMOCRATS WHO OPPOSED THESE BILLS: Before the full roll call below, we highlight the Democratic "no" votes on each issue. It is worth noting that the medical marijuana bill was by far the least controversial:

  • SENATE MEDICAL MARIJUANA OPPONENTS: The medical marijuana bill passed the State Senate by a vote of 42 to 4. The 4 votes against the bill came from 2 Senate Republicans, joined by 2 Democrats:
  1. Sen. John Astle - (Anne Arundel)
  2. Sen. Ed DeGrange - (Anne Arundel)
  • HOUSE MEDICAL MARIJUANA OPPONENTS: The medical marijuana bill passed the House by a vote of 108 to 28. The 28 votes against the bill came from 21 Senate Republicans, joined by 7 Democrats:  
  1. Del. Charles Barkley - (Montgomery)
  2. Del. Emmett Burns - (Baltimore County)
  3. Del. Norm Conway - (Wicomico)
  4. Del. Kevin Kelly - (Allegany)
  5. Del. John Olszewski - (Baltimore County)
  6. Del. Theodore Sophocleus - (Anne Arundel)
  7. Del. John Wood - (St. Mary's)
  • SENATE OPPONENTS OF DRIVERS LICENSES FOR UNDOCUMENTED RESIDENTS: The bill to allow drivers licenses for undocumented residents passed the Senate by a vote of 29 to 18. The 18 votes against the bill came from all 12 Senate Republicans, joined by 6 Democrats:  
  1. Sen. Jim Brochin - (Baltimore County)
  2. Sen. Ed DeGrange - (Anne Arundel)
  3. Sen. Roy Dyson - (St. Mary's)
  4. Sen. Katherine Klausmeier - (Baltimore County)
  5. Sen. Jim Mathias - (Wicomico)
  6. Sen. Norm Stone - (Baltimore County)
  • HOUSE OPPONENTS OF DRIVERS LICENSES FOR UNDOCUMENTED RESIDENTS: The bill to allow drivers licenses for undocumented residents passed the House by a vote of 82 to 55. The 55 votes against the bill came from all 43 House Republicans, joined by 12 Democrats:  
  1. Del. John Bohanan - (St. Mary's)
  2. Del. Eric Bromwell - (Baltimore County)
  3. Del. Emmett Burns - (Baltimore County)
  4. Del. Steve DeBoy - (Baltimore County)
  5. Del. John Donoghue - (Washington)
  6. Del. Mary-Dulany James - (Harford)
  7. Del. Kevin Kelly - (Allegany)
  8. Del. Joseph Minnick - (Baltimore County)
  9. Del. John Olszewski - (Baltimore County)
  10. Del. Theodore Sophocleus - (Anne Arundel)
  11. Del. Michael Weir - (Baltimore County)
  12. Del. C. T. Wilson - (Charles)
  • SENATE GUN LAW OPPONENTS:  Laws creating new restrictions on the sale of firearms passed the State Senate by a vote of 28 to 19. The 19 votes against the gun laws came from all 12 Senate Republicans, joined by 7 Democrats:
      1. Sen. John Astle - (Anne Arundel)
      2. Sen. Ed DeGrange - (Anne Arundel)
      3. Sen. Roy Dyson - (St. Mary's)
      4. Sen. Katherine Klausmeier - (Baltimore County)
      5. Sen. Jim Mathias - (Wicomico)
      6. Sen. Mac Middleton - (Charles)
      7. Sen. Norm Stone - (Baltimore County)
  • HOUSE GUN LAW OPPONENTS:  In the House, the vote for new gun regulations was 78 to 61. The 61 votes against the gun laws came from all 43 Senate Republicans, joined by 18 Democrats:
      1. Del. Pamela Beidle - (Anne Arundel)
      2. Del. John Bohanan - (St. Mary's)
      3. Del. Eric Bromwell - (Baltimore County)
      4. Del. Rudolph Cane - (Wicomico)
      5. Del. Norm Conway - (Wicomico)
      6. Del. Steve DeBoy - (Baltimore County)
      7. Del. John Donoghue - (Washington)
      8. Del. Mary-Dulany James - (Harford)
      9. Del. Sally Jameson - (Charles)
      10. Del. Kevin Kelly - (Allegany)
      11. Del. James Malone - (Baltimore County)
      12. Del. Peter Murphy - (Charles)
      13. Del. John Olszewski - (Baltimore County)
      14. Del. David Rudolph - (Cecil)
      15. Del. Theodore Sophocleus - (Anne Arundel)
      16. Del. Michael Weir - (Baltimore County)
      17. Del. C.T. Wilson - (Charles)
      18. Del. John Wood - (St. Mary's)
  • SENATE GAS TAX OPPONENTS: The transportation funding package passed the State Senate by a vote of 27 to 20. The 20 votes against the gas tax came from all 12 Senate Republicans, joined by 8 Democrats:  
      1. Sen. John Astle - (Anne Arundel)
      2. Sen. Jim Brochin - (Baltimore County)
      3. Sen. Ed DeGrange - (Anne Arundel)
      4. Sen. Roy Dyson - (St. Mary's)
      5. Sen. Delores Kelley - (Baltimore County)
      6. Sen. Katherine Klausmeier - (Baltimore County)
      7. Sen. Jim Mathias - (Wicomico)
      8. Sen. Norm Stone  - (Baltimore County)
  • HOUSE GAS TAX OPPONENTS: In the House, the transportation funding vote was 76 to 63. The 63 votes against the gas tax came from 41 Senate Republicans, joined by 22 Democrats:
      1. Del. Pamela Beidle - (Anne Arundel)
      2. Del. Aisha Braveboy - (Prince George's)
      3. Del. Eric Bromwell - (Baltimore County)
      4. Del. Emmett Burns - (Baltimore County)
      5. Del. Rudolph Cane - (Wicomico)
      6. Del. Frank Conaway - (Baltimore)
      7. Del. Norm Conway - (Wicomico)
      8. Del. Steve DeBoy - (Baltimore County)
      9. Del. Barbara Frush - (Prince George's)
      10. Del. Mary-Dulany James - (Harford)
      11. Del. Kevin Kelly - (Allegany)
      12. Del. Stephen Lafferty - (Baltimore County)
      13. Del. Jim Malone - (Baltimore County)
      14. Del. Joseph Minnick - (Baltimore County)
      15. Del. Shirley Nathan-Pulliam - (Baltimore County)
      16. Del. John Olszewski - (Baltimore County)
      17. Del. David Rudolph - (Cecil)
      18. Del. Luiz Simmons - (Montgomery)
      19. Del. Theodore Sophocleus - (Anne Arundel)
      20. Del. Geraldine Valentino-Smith - (Prince George's)
      21. Del. Michael Weir - (Baltimore County)
      22. Del. John Wood - (St. Mary's)

HOW MARYLAND POLITICIANS VOTED ON FOUR KEY ISSUES:
BELOW: FULL HOUSE & SENATE ROLL CALLS

Tuesday, April 9, 2013

Lt. Gov. Anthony Brown Schedules May 10th Kickoff for 2014 Gubernatorial Campaign // Who Will Be His Running-Mate?

Maryland Juice has received a leaked copy of an invitation to a special event for Lt. Gov. Anthony Brown on Friday, May 10, 2013 at 4:30 pm. The event below almost certainly appears to be the kickoff announcement for Brown's 2014 gubernatorial campaign, which will be at Prince George's Community College, 301 Largo Rd, Largo, MD.

Maryland Juice is also hearing rumors that Anthony Brown may be appearing at his gubernatorial kickoff with a Lt. Governor candidate by his side. As a result, we will soon begin speculating about various options to serve as running-mates for Brown and the other gubernatorial candidates. Stay tuned!

JUICE: Jay Hutchins Not Running Against Sam Arora, Kagan Attacks Del. Simmons, Councilmembers Leventhal & Rice Spar

Below Maryland Juice highlights a few notable items from the last week, including some interesting points of conflict between politicos.

JUICE #1: 2010 RUNNER-UP JAY HUTCHINS DECIDES AGAINST REMATCH WITH SAM ARORA - The candidate thought for months to be most likely to challenge freshman Del. Sam Arora has now announced he will not seek office in 2014. Indeed, many had presumed that Jay Hutchins (the runner-up to Arora in the 2010 Democratic Primary) would take another shot at a now mortally wounded Delegate Arora. After all, progressive advocates and LGBT activists have promised to back a candidate to replace Arora after the Democrat broke a promise to support marriage equality. But a few days ago, Hutchins posted a message on his Facebook page announcing his decision not to seek office in 2014:
JAY HUTCHINS: Friends, After serious consideration, I have made the decision not to run for elected office in this upcoming election cycle. I will continue to be an active voice in the district, county and state. I cannot express deeply enough my gratitude for your ongoing support. Jay

Hutchins' departure from the District 19 race in 2014 creates a wide opening for another ambitious progressive candidate to challenge Sam Arora. Maryland Juice is aware of a few candidates who have been mulling over the race for the past few months, but it remains to be seen who among them will emerge as the strongest contender. More soon on the new crop of District 19 challengers!


JUICE #2: D17 RIVALRY IN 2014? // FORMER DELEGATE CHERYL KAGAN JABS AT DEL. LUIZ SIMMONS - Maryland Juice recently highlighted comments from former Delegate Cheryl Kagan questioning Del. Luiz Simmons' commitment to passing new gun regulations in Maryland. The controversy emerged after The Washington Post published an editorial suggesting Simmons was open to exempting AR-15 rifles from the state's new assault weapons ban. Kagan blasted Simmons on Facebook, prompting the District 17 lawmaker to host a town hall meeting reaffirming his support for new gun regulations. Maryland Juice previously speculated that we could be witnessing a preview of the 2014 Democratic Primary for State Senate in District 17. Kagan notably lost the 2010 race for State Senate by only a few hundred votes and Simmons is now rumored to be eyeing the same office.

Cheryl Kagan further commented on the matter through a pair of Facebook messages last week, and her additional musings included new jabs at Delegate Luiz Simmons:
CHERYL KAGAN: Following the blog posts and flurry of emails and messages yesterday, several questions occur to me this morning:

1) Why can't a former elected official (me) express opinions about pending legislation without folks jumping to conclusions about intent?

2) Why would a current legislator (Del Luiz Simmons) have surrogates contact me... but not reach out to a constituent directly?

3) How is it that any significant representative could have absolutely no presence on any social media as another method of communicating his/her views?

4) Will Del Simmons ever decide to comply with campaign finance and ethics laws and actually use authority lines in his robo-calls (he again failed to do it in yesterday's call) and taxpayer-paid mailers???

I'd love hear some answers to these questions, but I need to go to work now!
The message above was followed soon after by a comment from Kagan about Delegate Luiz Simmons' telephone town hall on gun control:
CHERYL KAGAN: Ah, the power of Facebook! For 10+ years, Del Luiz Simmons has delivered robo-calls and taxpayer-funded mailings with no required authority line ("Paid for by..."). After posting about that issue issue here, he actually added one to his phone call tonight! Now, let's see if he'll finally do right on the issues of gun control, domestic violence, and other pending legislation!
Maryland Juice concedes Cheryl Kagan's point that she ought to be able to express thoughts about legislation without folks jumping to conclusions. But even still, a hunch is a hunch, and my gut tells me I'm right to think we haven't seen the last of Kagan on the campaign trail. We may know soon enough!


JUICE #3: MOCO COUNCILMEMBERS GEORGE LEVENTHAL & CRAIG RICE TRADE SHOTS OVER WALMART LOBBYING - Maryland Juice sources recently flagged a testy exchange between Montgomery County Councilmembers George Leventhal and Craig Rice over a proposed new Walmart in Aspen Hill, Maryland. Below we provide a bit of background about the controversy, along with video footage of the amusingly feisty debate.

Here's some brief background on the issue: Walmart is trying to open a store in Aspen Hill, Maryland, but the county isn't scheduled to revise zoning in that neighborhood for a few more years. Walmart is therefore pushing aggressively to expedite the rezoning discussion, and Leventhal highlighted the activities of Walmart's lobbyists on Twitter last week:


But when Leventhal arrived at a County Council hearing about expediting rezoning for Walmart's Aspen Hill location, he was upset to see audience members holding pre-printed signs supporting the plan. Check out the following report on the incident from The Sentinel (excerpt below):
SENTINEL: Even debating whether or not to build a Wal-Mart in Aspen Hill brought about one of the most heated arguments in recent memory to the County Council this week.... More than 30 members of the Aspen Hill and Leisure World communities were in attendance and they came with signs printed with the phrase: “What’s the wait? Give Aspen Hill a chance!...”
The development group, led by President Bruce Lee, owns several other properties in Aspen Hill and has looked to revitalize the area. Unable to find takers for a lease, Lee said he wants  the property rezoned for retail....

Councilmember George Leventhal (at-large) said his concern with the mini master plan is there is an existing agreement between Lee’s group and Wal-Mart to have Wal-Mart become the tenant for the property and build a store there. Leventhal said he is worried about the county council becoming susceptible to manipulation and lobbying by developers and corporations....

Leventhal said the audience members holding signs were holding signs printed by consultants hired by the Lee Development Group and Wal-Mart. In fact, Lee said his group provided transportation to the county council meeting and the signs which were created by a consultant....
Leventhal's comments about the attendees holding pro-Walmart signs triggered an angry rebuke from Councilmember Craig Rice (a supporter of the Walmart plan).  

Below you can see video footage of the heated exchange:

Monday, April 8, 2013

ROLL CALL: Maryland House & Senate Approve Millions in Tax Cuts for Lockheed // PLUS: Candidates Consider Impact on 2014

UPDATE: Shortly after posting this article, several Maryland Juice sources indicated that three lawmakers changed their votes before publication of the "official record." As a result, the unofficial verified tally we published below needs to be updated. The affected lawmakers are: Del. Wendell Beitzel (District 1A Republican), Del. Ron George (District 30 Republican), and Del. Sheila Hixson (District 20 Democrat).
Delegates Beitzel and George switched from "no" votes to "yes" votes in support of the Lockheed welfare bill. Delegate Hixson's vote switched from a "yes" vote to a "no" vote against the Lockheed welfare bill. Below we provide an updated version of the Lockheed welfare roll call and analysis below. We also provide a screencap of the original roll call, so that you can see the adjustments.

Today the Maryland House of Delegates passed a multimillion dollar corporate welfare bill for Pentagon contractor Lockheed Martin. The taxpayer handout was approved in a 102-35 vote in the State House, over the objections of advocacy organizations who claim to have generated thousands of constituent emails urging lawmakers to reject the proposal. The vote was a similarly lopsided 37-9 a few weeks ago in the State Senate, but in both chambers Republicans and Democrats alike crossed the aisle to cut taxes for the cash-flush multinational corporation. Apparently the two parties can agree on something!


ROLL CALL & ANALYSIS: Below Maryland Juice produces the full House & Senate roll call on the Lockheed welfare bill (sorted by legislative district), along with a few quick analyses and insights into the bizarre voting patterns that emerged on the issue. Indeed, there are some interesting political dynamics embedded within the Lockheed vote. Here are a few highlights from the roll call:
  • BIPARTISAN SUPPORT FOR LOCKHEED WELFARE, BUT GOP MORE OPPOSED - In the Maryland House, the Lockheed welfare bill passed in a 102 to 35 vote. The 35 votes against corporate welfare came from 24 Democrats and 11 Republicans. But it is worth noting that between the two parties, a larger percentage of GOP House members voted against the Lockheed bill than Democrats (26% of Republicans vs 24% of Democrats). Indeed, Maryland Dems should feel more shame than they seem to about approving such a crass corporate giveaway.

  • HALF OF MOCO'S HOUSE MEMBERS VOTED AGAINST THE LOCKHEED BILL - Notably, the Lockheed welfare bill was mysteriously filed as a statewide bill this year even though it only impacts a single facility in Montgomery County. Ordinarily, such a bill would be considered a local bill and deference would be given to lawmakers representing Montgomery County. But it appears that MoCo's legislative delegation was extremely divided on whether to give a handout to Lockheed - even though the company is headquartered there. 3 of 8 MoCo Senators and 12 of 24 MoCo Delegates voted against the Lockheed plan. Here's a fascinating round-up showing how Montgomery County's all-Democratic delegation voted:
    • DISTRICT 14 - NO: Sen. Karen Montgomery & Del. Eric Luedtke; YES: Del. Anne Kaiser & Del. Craig Zucker
    • DISTRICT 15 - NO: Nobody; YES: Sen. Rob Garagiola, Del. Kathleen Dumais, Del. Brian Feldman & Del. Aruna Miller
    • DISTRICT 16 - NO: Sen. Brian Frosh, Del. Bill Frick & Del. Susan Lee; YES: Del. Ariana Kelly
    • DISTRICT 17 - NO: Del. Luiz Simmons;  YES: Sen. Jennie Forehand, Del. Kumar Barve & Del. Jim Gilchrest
    • DISTRICT 18 - NO: Del. Al Carr & Del. Jeff Waldstreicher;  YES: Sen. Rich Madaleno, NOT VOTING: Del. Ana Sol Gutierrez
    • DISTRICT 19 - NO: Del. Sam Arora, Del. Bonnie Cullison & Del. Ben Kramer, YES: Sen. Roger Manno
    • DISTRICT 20 - NO: Sen. Jamie Raskin, Del. Sheila Hixson, Del. Tom Hucker & Del. Heather Mizeur; YES: Nobody
    • DISTRICT 39 - NO: Nobody; YES: Sen. Nancy King, Del. Charles Barkley, Del. Kirill Reznik & Del. Shane Robinson 

  • EVERY MOCO LAWMAKER SEEKING HIGHER OFFICE VOTED AGAINST LOCKHEED WELFARE - It is worth noting that every single Montgomery County lawmaker who is seriously weighing a 2014 run for higher office voted against the Lockheed welfare plan. Sen. Brian Frosh & Del. Bill Frick are both running for Attorney General and voted against the handout. Del. Susan Lee is seeking Frosh's State Senate seat and also voted against the Lockheed plan. Notably, all three of these lawmakers represent the area encompassing Lockheed's headquarters in Bethesda, Maryland. Likewise, Del. Heather Mizeur is running for Governor and voted against the Lockheed bill, as did Del. Luiz Simmons, who is rumored to be preparing for a 2014 State Senate campaign. 

  • THREE OUT OF 4 ATTORNEY GENERAL CANDIDATES VOTED AGAINST LOCKHEED BILL - At last count, there were at least four Democrats plotting runs for 2014 Attorney General: Sen. Brian Frosh and Delegates Aisha Braveboy, Jon Cardin & Bill Frick. Frosh, Braveboy and Frick all voted against the Lockheed plan, leaving Del. Cardin as the lone Lockheed supporter in the AG's race.

  • TWO SPONSORS OF LOCKHEED BILL VOTED AGAINST IT - Notably, two sponsors of the Lockheed welfare plan voted against their own bill: Delegates Bill Frick and Eric Luedtke. Luedtke may have been swayed by the pleas of some of his supporters to reject the bill, but Frick's "no" vote is more interesting -- because by many accounts he was the early driving force behind the bill in the House. Maryland Juice thinks 2014 may have something to do with this change, but what do I know.... This outcome was foreshadowed by the House Ways & Means Committee vote on the Lockheed bill, where both Frick & Luedtke surprised observers by voting against the welfare bill. 

NOTE: If Gov. Martin O'Malley signs this ridiculous corporate tax cut into law, Montgomery County officials will be forced to forgo $4.5 million in revenue every ten years in perpetuity. Notably, Lockheed Martin is already getting reimbursed by the Feds for the tax payments they are now trying to avoid paying. Maryland Juice asked a few MoCo politicos to weigh in on this matter, including some County Councilmembers and potential 2014 House candidates. We'll publish their commentary in part 2 of this article soon. In the meantime, check out the Lockheed roll call below -- we'll eventually post it permanently at www.LockheedWelfare.com:

LOCKHEED MARTIN WELFARE BILL 
BELOW: FULL MARYLAND HOUSE & SENATE ROLL CALL